Tressel likes NFL's approach to agents

Wednesday

Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel is happy that the NFL is imposing new rules when it comes to agents.

An Associated Press report shows that several groups are working with the NCAA to find new ways to enforce rules prohibiting improper agent-related benefits for student-athletes.

Among the possibilities is including financial penalties that reach into a player’s potential NFL career.

The NFL, NFL Players Association and sports agents are among those involved in talks with the NCAA that have included various proposals.

Coach Jim Tressel, long a proponent of strong legislation to protect college athletes from unscrupulous agents, on Tuesday said, “There’s been a lot of discussions. The point about potential penalties later on is one that we as college coaches really promoted because it’s difficult if there are no consequences for poor behavior. And will that occur? You know, we’ll find out.”

Tressel said he had not been part of meetings on the issue since participating in a teleconference in the summer.

Asked if the meetings are a step in the right direction, Tressel said, “Oh, it’s progress — well, our side is the kids. So it’s progress for helping kids have the right kind of behavior.”

Confidence man

Minnesota interim head coach Jeff Horton, who took over two weeks ago after the firing of Tim Brewster, said a big part of his job is instilling confidence in his players and his fellow coaches.

“It’s no different than if you’re a surgeon,” Horton said Tuesday, as the team prepares to host the Buckeyes on Saturday. “If he’s coming in to operate on you, you want him coming in that day thinking that he’s going to do a great job and he’s got a chance to make you better. You wouldn’t want him coming in there thinking, ’This is a little tough. I don’t know if I have a good chance to save this guy.’ Or a lawyer going against F. Lee Bailey saying, ’Should I even show up?”’

The Gophers offensive coordinator said he hopes to show his team that anything is possible.

“As a coach we’re going to do everything we can in preparation to try to win that football game on Saturday,” he said. “When we hit that stadium at 7 o’clock (CT) to start it, I know our mindset is: ’We’ve got a plan in place, let’s go do it.’ And we really think we can win that game. Obviously the odds are stacked against us. We’re not immune to that. But I think the competitiveness in you brings that out. As long as we’re playing that game, as long as it’s not canceled, we’ve got a chance to win it. That’s our job to get our kids to believe in that and to do that.”

Injury update

Tressel said that four players who missed the Purdue game will not be back for Minnesota.

“Christian Bryant is still in the hospital,” Tressel said of the freshman safety who has an infected foot. “His foot’s doing good. (Because of) the effects of all the medications and so forth, (they) still haven’t released him. I’m sure it will be six weeks or better before he can play football.”

That would eliminate him from everything except a possible bowl trip.

LB Ross Homan, with a foot injury, has been working out in water and was expected to run on dry ground on Tuesday. But he will not be available.

DB Corey “Pittsburgh” Brown (knee) is out for the year and spring practices.

And LB Dorian Bell (concussion) could be back in time for the Penn State game on Nov. 13.

Home/away numbers

Some stats about Ohio State on the road and Minnesota at home:

• In road games under Tressel, the Buckeyes are 39-15. Two of those defeats came in national championship games and two others in bowl games. Other losses have come at No. 1 Southern California in 2008, at No. 16 Penn State in 2005, at No. 5 Michigan and No. 23 Wisconsin in 2003 and No. 12 UCLA in his second game with the Buckeyes in 2001.

• The Buckeyes have won 19 of their last 21 conference road games.

• Ohio State has won the last 11 games at Minnesota, and 17 of the last 18. The only loss over that span was a 35-31 decision in 1981. That loss before a crowd of 42,793 marked the next-to-last game at old Memorial Stadium.

• The Buckeyes were a perfect 11-0 at the airless, lifeless Metrodome, which the Golden Gophers left after the 2008 season.

• Minnesota is 4-8 at the new year-old TCF Bank Stadium, including 0-5 this year.

• The announced attendance at Saturday’s 33-21 home loss to Penn State was 48,479, the smallest ever. “I hope a bunch of red shows up in that stadium,” Tressel said.

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